Robust response as Pakistan launches online visa system for 191 countries

Pakistan on Friday has launched online visa system for 191 countries in line with Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision to make visa process easy for the people and there was a robust response to this system on the first day.
Addressing a news conference in Peshawar on Friday, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad said the government has launched the online visa system for 191 countries in line with the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan to make visa process easy for people and as a result, he said, the manual visa system has ceased to exist from today. 
He said the online visa system would help eradicate the menace of corruption and ensure transparency besides addressing complaints of people especially with regard to China and Afghanistan. He said on the first day, the online system had received about 200,000 applications for visas. 
To a question, the minister said that 528 NGOs were working in Pakistan and added that action would be taken against those NGOs found involved in politics.
Sheikh Rashid said that nobody will be allowed to spit venom at Pakistan Army. He said Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) leader Mufti Kifayatullah’s hate speech case had been referred to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government. 
He said JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman had no stakes in country’s politics, and he was leading the opposition into a blind alley. 
The minister again made it clear that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s passport would not be renewed on February 16, and would be deemed cancelled.
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He said currently Pakistan had no extradition treaty with Britain under which Nawaz Sharif could be brought back. However, efforts were underway on all fronts to bring him back to face corruption cases.
Welcoming Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) willingness to contest Senate elections, Sh Rashid said at the end of the day issues had to be sorted out through negotiations.  
He said running state affairs was now becoming easier for Prime Minister Imran Khan, who, he claimed, was pitted against mafias.
The minister said Prime Minister Imran Khan was fighting against scourge of corruption and no comprise would be made with corrupt elements. 
To a question, he said protection of holy places of minorities and their leadership was the top priority of the government and the KP Chief Minister has been directed to take strong notice of the recent Karak's unfortunate incident. 
Sh Rashid said political parties were free to exercise their political rights as guaranteed by the Constitution and maintained that the government would take strong action against armed wings of political parties in the country. "We have taken serious notice of armed wings of political parties and was considering to impose a ban on these wings," he said. 
He said he paid a visit to Torkhum border today and said that border management system with Afghanistan and other countries would be further strengthened as per international standards. 
He said the government strongly believed in freedom of media which has great role in democratic process and urged media houses to be more responsible while highlighting national and geo-political issues and guide the nation in right direction towards a prosperous and tolerant society. He strongly condemned the Indian's nefarious designs against Pakistan and added that its media’s malicious propaganda stood exposed before the world. 
To a question about PDM, the minister said it was encouraging that PPP has decided to take part in Senate election and by-elections and expressed the hope that PML-N would also follow the same. He claimed the PDM was out to create political chaos and instability in the country besides pushing Maulana Fazlur Rehman into a blind alley. 
"Politics has always room for dialogue and mature politicians never reach to the point of no return." He said the government would adopt strategy according to scenarios developed in wake of the PDM decisions. 
He said concrete measures were being taken to bring down prices of all essential commodities, adding efforts were underway to overcome price hike this year. The chief secretaries of all provinces were directed to take strong action against elements involved in price hike and hoarding and bring prices of essential commodities down.
To a question, he said KP people had rendered matchless sacrifices in war against terror and had never surrendered before inimical forces.
He said there was still threats to Peshawar, Rawalpindi and Lahore where security have been beefed up and patrolling of police were increased. Sh Rashid said law and order situation in KP including merged areas has significantly improved due to supreme sacrifices of armed forces of Pakistan, FC and police.